Tuscaloosa To Host Open House Tonight For Airport Master Plan

TUSCALOOSA, AL — The City of Tuscaloosa will host an open house meeting tonight regarding the Tuscaloosa National Airport Master Plan — a 20-year comprehensive plan for the airport that details development plans for the airport to meet future demand.

"Our work on the airport today is an investment in the future of Tuscaloosa,” Mayor Walt Maddox said earlier this month. “We invite the public to contribute their feedback and ideas at this open house event to ensure that the future of the airport will fulfill the needs of our community.”

The open house will begin at 4 p.m. and conclude at 6:30 p.m. at the airport’s main terminal.

Patch previously reported that the City of Tuscaloosa has retained the services of Atkins North America, Inc. to assist with the master plan, which has been under development since 2019 and is nearly finished. The city said attendees will be able to move around to different master plan stations displaying primary material, along with having the opportunity to talk with city officials and Atkins representatives.

Those wishing to submit written comments may email Connor.Haskin@atkinsglobal.com or by mail to Tuscaloosa National Airport Master Plan, C/o ATKINS, Attn: Darren Duckworth, 404 BNA Drive, Suite 600, Nashville, TN 37217 through July 16.

The 724-acre Tuscaloosa National Airport was acquired by the City of Tuscaloosa at the end of World War II and has since grown to house 110 aircraft across 62 hangars. The airport serves a 10-county area and also features two fixed-base operators, a flight school, and a car rental facility onsite.

While the master plan will address needs in the longterm, other efforts are already underway to improve the airport, particularly its aged runway. The City of Tuscaloosa in April broke ground on a project to rebuild the entire structure of the runway, removing the existing asphalt, creating a soil-cement base and putting down new asphalt surface material. Runway end identifier lights will also be installed.

Have a news tip or suggestion on how I can improve Tuscaloosa Patch? Maybe you're interested in having your business become one of the latest sponsors for Tuscaloosa Patch? Email all inquiries to me at ryan.phillips@patch.com.